A KIDE ACROSS THE PELOPONNESE. 193 



We had brought an introduction to the doctor of 

 the town, who came to see us. By his advice we put 

 ourselves, during our short stay, into the hands of 

 the astynomos or head policeman, by whom, or by 

 one of his subordinates, we were attended in all our 

 walks about Tripoli. This was to guard us and, as 

 we found, not without reason against the natural 

 desire of the natives to make the most of the few 

 strangers that fall into their hands. 



Early next morning we rode out to see Tegea, 

 which lies about eight miles S.W. of Tripoli. The 

 visible remains of this ancient and at one time power- 

 ful city are very scanty. In front of the little church 

 of the modern village lie a few broken columns, con- 

 jectured to belong to the temple of Athene Alea, 

 which was built by Scopas about B.C. 390, and is 

 described by Pausanias as the largest and most 

 magnificent temple in the Peloponnesus. We were 

 shown, also, a few fragments of inscriptions and bas- 

 reliefs built into the walls of the houses ; and in a 

 small room, which did duty for a museum, were 

 collected some more precious relics. Among these 

 were two bas-reliefs of really fine work, though much 

 mutilated. One represented a banqueting scene, in 

 which men and women were arranged in alternate 

 pairs, the men reclining, while the women sat up- 

 right. We had some difficulty in seeing these pro- 

 perly, and still more in deciphering a long inscription 

 setting forth the terms of a treaty with some neigh- 



VOL. II. N 



